THE world’s best, most bettable horseracing meet kicks off Wednesday when Saratoga opens for a 36-day stand that runs through Labor Day, Sept. 4. There’s a stakes a day (the track is dark on Tuesdays) on the menu, 12 of those Grade 1 including the “Midsummer Derby,” the $1 million Travers on Aug. 26. Total purses for the 35 stakes is a record $8,725,000.

The New York Racing Association can afford paying those purses because Saratoga is a gold mine. Last summer the Old Spa set records for attendance (920,218, a daily average of 25,562) and on-track handle (nearly $112 million, more than $3 million a day).

Most amazingly, the all-sources handle for the meet (including simulcasting) rose 16 percent from the record set in 1998, surpassing the half-billion-dollar mark at $557,517,564, a daily average of nearly $15.5 million.

Good weather throughout the meet was a big factor in the record betting. Only a handful of races came off the turf, not many horses were scratched because of sloppy tracks, and as a result the field size was a healthy 8.38 per race (as opposed to less than eight at the current Belmont meet).

If the weather holds again (unfortunately, the National Weather Service is predicting a wetter-than-average summer in the Northeast), the total handle for the meet — boosted by trifectas on every race and rolling pick 3’s — will pass the $600 million mark. That’s a lot of loot, and this Spa Bettors Guide will help you put some of that back in your pockets.

We also recommend buying the 98-page “Saratoga Handicapper 2000” by Jim Mazur with John Angelo, which offers a treasure trove of statistics and is very strong on trainer analysis. It’s available for $21.95 by calling 1-800-272-8039, or ask for it at your newsstand in Saratoga.

TRAINERS TO WATCH

D. WAYNE LUKAS: The leading trainer at Saratoga six times from 1986-92, Lukas had subpar meets in ’97 and ’98 but shot out of the gate like a rocket last summer, winning with nine of his first 25 starters.

“I think we’ll probably jump off to a good start again,” Lukas said. “I’m just now looking at the first two weeks of the condition book, and while it’s not overwhelming for us, it’s not bad.”

Lukas, with 14 maiden 2-year-old winners already this year — “the best start we’ve ever had” — said he’ll be well-represented in the 2-year-old stakes, with his colts stronger than his fillies. As for his allowance horses, he said, “We’ll have to test the water with those.”

BILL MOTT: The 47-year-old Hall of Famer cold-watered his chances in last year’s Saratoga Bettors Guide, then went up and won the training title for the fifth time in the last eight years.

“It’s hard to say,” Mott said about his prospects for the meet. “We’ve run out of conditions with a lot of our horses. But I’d like to think we have a few more good 2-year-olds than in the past.”

The Mott babies are most dangerous second time out, especially stretching out on turf. In fact, of Mott’s 16 winners last year, 12 came on grass, and he noted, “A lot depends on the weather. We’ve been very lucky the past two years. But if we get rained out, we’re in trouble.”

TODD PLETCHER: Pletcher won the training title at Saratoga two years back with 20 winners, tying the record set by Mott in ’96, but the bandwagon broke down last summer. Pletcher went 12-for-87 (just 14 percent), with twice as many seconds and thirds, and his average winning odds were a meager 5-2.

Like last year, Todd comes into this meet off a bang-up run at Belmont spring-summer. “You could argue that’s a disadvantage,” he said, “because now the horses have to step up in class. It’s very hard to gauge how you’ll do at Saratoga because it’s the toughest meet all year.”

Pletcher said he’s “a little light on stakes horses,” except with his 3-year-olds colts: Trippi, Graeme Hall, More Than Ready and Impeachment. As always, his 2-year-olds deserve a close look.

MARK HENNIG: Like Pletcher, a protégé of D. Wayne Lukas, Hennig has ridden a roller-coaster at Saratoga. After winning with 12 of 61 starters in 1997, in ’98 he lost with his first 20 starters and finished 3-for-49, then went 7-for-39 last summer.

Hennig’s strength this year is obvious: “2-year-old fillies,” he said, referring to Gold Mover, With Ability and Raging Fever, all stakes winners. “I’ve got some nice maidens that haven’t run yet, but you don’t know how tough their races will be until you enter.”

Hennig, who trains for Edward Evans, the leading owner at Belmont spring-summer, also is leery of his horses moving up in class at the Spa. “That’s what makes you hesitant,” he said. “They don’t necessarily win right back, especially at Saratoga, where some horse who was beaten by a head might be lying in the woods.

“They might not win again until their second or third start. But I’m confident we’ll do fine.”

JOHN KIMMEL: First or second in the Spa standings from 1996-98, Kimmel slipped to just 8-for-51 last summer. He hasn’t been knocking them dead at Belmont spring-summer either, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

“We’ve got a lot of horses with a lot of conditions left and that should be helpful,” he said. “It’s a nice, round group. We’re light on stakes horses because of injuries, but we’ve got a lot of horses returning from layoffs — Successful Appeal, Regally Appealing, Speeding Star, Strolling Belle, Indy Vidual — who can pick up the slack.”

Kimmel, who unleashed first-time starter Chief Seattle last summer to win by 9 3/4 lengths at $13.20, figures he’ll have eight-to-10 2-year-olds ready to run at the Spa. They include a couple of Woodman colts, Woody Hayes and Illusionary; a Theatrical colt, Red Carpet; a Forest Wildcat filly, Look of the Lynx; an Unbridled colt, Believe in Miracles; and a colt and filly by French Deputy.

SHUG McGAUGHEY: After winning with a third of his starters at Belmont spring-summer, McGaughey — always a force at Saratoga with a barnful of classy, well-bred runners — is confident he can keep the ball rolling at Saratoga.

He feels Resort, Atelier, Sailor’s Warning and Polish Miner will be competitive in stakes events and is looking forward to Agrita, Kris Pit and possibly Traditionally returning from layoffs.

“We’ve got some new shooters with our 2-year-olds who look like they can run,” McGaughey said, including the fillies Chasm and Carry All and a colt named Reconnaissance.

DALLAS STEWART: “Last year we got our butt kicked,” said the former Lukas chief assistant. “We won two races [with 38 starters].” But this summer, with 30 stalls “and a horse for every one of them,” Stewart figures to improve on ’99 by leaps and bounds.

“We had good meets and Keeneland and Churchill Downs,” said the Kentucky-based conditioner, “and we’re hoping that will carry over. It’s the toughest place in the world to win but I’ve got high expectations.”

Stewart named 4-year-old Kimberlite Pipe and the 2-year-old Stray Cat as colts with stakes aspirations, and other than that said, “We’ve just got some nice horses, 2-year-olds that haven’t started yet and a lot of nice allowance horses.”

RICK DUTROW JR.: Keeping his string stabled at Aqueduct, Dutrow ran just nine horses at the Spa last year and didn’t win a race, although he had four seconds and two thirds.

This summer is a different matter for the young trainer who handles one of the top claiming outfits in New York. He’s been claiming horses with Saratoga in mind and was assigned 17 stalls, although he wanted more.

“I didn’t even go up last year,” he said. “I wasn’t paying any attention to it. This year I’ve got to go because I have some nice horses.”

JERRY BAILEY: J.D., who owned the Spa riding title from 1994-97, recaptured his crown last summer, crushing the meet wire to wire. He won 18 races over the first two weeks and after a month was 40-for-117 (34 percent). He slacked off a bit toward the end of the meet when his horses ran through their conditions but still won 47 races, one short of his own record.

Bailey, who’s dominated Belmont spring-summer riding nearly 40-percent winners, is “a 10 on dirt and a 10+ on grass,” says retired Hall of Famer Angel Cordero Jr. With Mott, Pletcher, Lukas, Hennig, McGaughey and other top trainers feeding him mounts, if Bailey’s not on the best horse in the race, he’s on the second or third. Bet him to win.

Not every horse J.D. rides is a short price, however. Last year he booted home longshots like Monarch’s Maze ($23.40), With Impunity ($21.20) and Medievil Hero ($15.60).

EDGAR PRADO: After dominating the Maryland circuit for years and leading the nation in victories in 1997-98, Prado broke into the big-time last summer when he came to Saratoga to ride first call for John Kimmel after stable rider Rich Migliore broke his arm.

The 33-year-old Peruvian got off to a slow start, winning with just one of his first 28 mounts, but soon took off and was second-leading rider by meet’s end. And he wasn’t doing it on chalk.

Since then Prado has established himself as one of the top guns in New York, and he figures to do even better at the Spa this year as he’s now represented by Bailey’s former agent Bob Frieze.

JORGE CHAVEZ: As the stable rider for Jim “007” Bond, who is stabled year-round at Saratoga and always has a solid meet, “Chop Chop” is guaranteed his share of live mounts (nine of Chavez’ 35 winners last year came on Bond horses). John Ward, for whom Chavez rides champion Beautiful Pleasure, is another top client.

JOHN VELAZQUEZ: Johnny won the title at Saratoga after Mike Smith was injured two years ago but got off to a slow start last summer (eight for his first 83) and never really got untracked, riding more than twice as many seconds and thirds (64 total) as winners (28-for-230, just 12 percent).

“It’s a tough meet,” said his agent, Angel Cordero Jr. “The top stables I ride for, Pletcher, Hennig, McGaughey, use every other top rider too.” Cordero said you can expect to see Velazquez riding more horses trained by P.G. Johnson, Rich Schosberg and Jim Toner. He’ll also bring home a longshot or two for his father-in-law, Leo O’Brien.

KENTUCKY SHIPPERS: Shane Sellers (83 winners) and Pat Day (82) have won more races at the Spa over the last three years than any riders except Bailey, Velazquez and Smith. Sellers, however, will have to make up for the loss of horses trained by Pat Byrne, who’s serving a suspension. Last year eight of Sellers’ 32 winners came on Byrne horses.

LONGSHOT RIDERS: Sean Bridgmohan’s seven winners last year averaged a $26.70 payoff. Jose Espinoza won five at an average $25.50 mutuel. Over the last three years, Mike Luzzi’s 25 winners averaged $20.

A pair of new faces, Marlon St. Julien and Masi Ebina, also should boot home some bombs.

St. Julien, a rising young star in Kentucky, is here with agent Randy Romero, a former top jock. “I think he’s one of the strongest riders in the country,” said Romero, who named Nick Zito, P.G. Johnson, Shug McGaughey, Bill Badgett, Elliot Walden and Neil Howard as trainers who’ve promised to give St. Julien some mounts.

Ebina, a champion rider in Japan, hasn’t ridden many horses since coming to Belmont in late June but he’s finished in the money with nearly half. “I’d sooner ride one live mount than 10 bad ones,” said his agent, Steve Adika, who handled Mike Smith’s book when he was leading rider at the Spa from 1991-93.

APPRENTICES: Not a single bug boy won a race at Saratoga last year. Norberto Arroyo Jr., the top apprentice in New York, loses his bug Aug. 5.

OWNERS TO WATCH

Most bettors pay little attention to horses’ owners, but some did so well last summer they’re worth noting.

Robert and Bea Roberts copped the owners’ title with a 12-for-49 mark. All their runners are trained by Stan Hough. The Stonerside stable, which had horses with Bill Mott, Pat Byrne and Shug McGaughey, was next at 8-for-17. Bob and Beverly Lewis, clients of Wayne Lukas and Bob Baffert, went 6-for-12. Beverly Parezo was 3-for-4 with horses trained by Steve Klesaris.

HOW FAVORITES FARED

Favorites won at a 36-percent clip last summer, just a bit above the 33-percent national average. Of the 60 odds-on favorites at the meet, nine of the first 10 won and there were 30 odds-on winners overall.

Among trainers, Badgett, Baffert, Bond, Gary Contessa, Hennig, Lukas and Gasper Moschera all won with 40 percent of their favorites or higher. Kimmel and Mott, however, languished at 22 percent.

Among jockeys, Chavez, Gryder and Sellers were 42 percent or higher with favorites, Bailey, Davis, Prado, Smith and Velazquez were about average, and Day came in at 26 percent.

Look for trainer Tom Voss, a miserable 1-for-30 last summer, to rebound big-time. Sanna Neilson will be live with her jumpers, and Janet Elliot and Bruce Miller are always strong. But perennial power Jonathan Sheppard, just 2-for-36 in ’99, could have another disappointing season and he’s always overbet.

HORSES TO WATCH

BROWN EYED LASS: Mott-trained 3-year-old filly, making just fourth start, gave stakes filly Eden Lodge run for her money last out. Take on turf or off-track.

HENDLER: State-bred turf maiden was checked hard on backstretch, lacked room far turn, was blocked trying to come up rail midstretch, flew home for third once clear.

HONEY’S CONTENDER: Was five-wide every step making first start on grass for Dick Destasio at Belmont, finished fourth at 30-1. Take vs. N.Y.-breds on turf.

MR. BASKETS: Lear Fan 2-year-old colt showed speed, backed up to seventh in 6f turf debut for Mott. Will win from off the pace at Spa.

REVVED UP: Sultry Song 2-year-old colt debuted going 6f on lawn for Chris Clement, showed nice late foot at 15-1. Should be along in time next out.